Daniel Silva - The Mark of the Assassin

Review by Brian Lowen on show 1st July
My first book of this author – probably my last!

The hero of our story is Michael Osbourne, a field agent with the CIA.

When Osbourne investigates the terrorist bombing of an airliner there is one clue that drives him on: a body found in the water near the crash site with three bullet holes in his face. Osbourne recognises the deadly markings as the work of a world-class assassin, a man whose very existence has not been proved because the only people ever to see him were his victims. Among those victims was a young woman Osbourne loved years before. But he subsequently discovers a disturbing truth about her.

As Osbourne gets closer and closer to the assassin his personal obsession threatens not only the investigation but his marriage as well.

It is a good story which keeps the reader interested as we learn of various intrigues within the offices of the President of the United States and crooked government officials out to make a lot of money at the expense and deaths of many innocent victims.
It is a good thriller but for me completely ruined by the ending. I like to have my stories all wound up to a satisfactory conclusion, but this one doesn’t. The crooked officials get away with it, albeit at a financial loss (that’s true to life I suppose bearing in mind what has been going on in our Government!) – and the assassin survives and finishes up on a Greek island with only an injured hand , but does loose his girl-friend. This to me spoilt the story seeing the number of victims he had shot – he should have met a suitable end – but maybe there will be a sequel, although Osbourne finishes up retiring from the CIA.

A very good thriller, but spoilt by the ending.

review by Brian

show 1st July

Guests this week are Brian Lowen and Ro Bennett and books on review – well a strange title amongst them:
The Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva/The Moses Stone by James Becker
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch/If you meet the Buddha on the Road, kill him! by Sheldon B Kopp. Hmmmmmm